Bucks County Golf

The weather isn't conducive to golf in the northeast, but spring is just a short iron shot away.

For me, I have been thinking about Pine Needles and Pinehurst in May, supplemented by Las Vegas in March and New Jersey shore golf whenever the weather gets above 50. It also gets me thinking about area golf courses that beckon daily.

Until warmer weather arrives, there is still golf news around Bucks County....

At Makefield Highlands Golf Club, a new management company is overseeing operations. AppliedGolf will operate the six-year-old Rick Jacobson-designed layout under a three-year contract with Lower Makefield Township.

General Manager Michael Collins left for Florida after KemperSports Management lost a bid to retain the contract it held since the opening of the course.

The competition for golfers in Lower Bucks County is intense. Weather limited play several months of 2009, leading to a small loss at Makefield Highlands. Still, the course offers an outstanding value and challenge to players......

Tom Bartolacci, Jr., has a large trophy case, and it received a new addition from the Pennsylvania State Golf Association.

Bartolacci, of Washington Crossing, received the PSGA Senior Player of the Year award for his outstanding play in 2009. Bartolacci, 12^th in the 2008 standings, easily earned the 2009 title with a 550-point total. Second place went to Punxsutawney's John Benson with 415 points, ahead of Dave DeNezza of Greensburg. Lookaway's Roc Irey placed 5^th.

Bartolacci began the season with a match against Irey as the 9th seed in the R. Jay Sigel Senior Amateur Match Play Championship at Fox Chapel Golf Club. He lost that match 4 & 3. The two players later teamed to win the Pennsylvania Senior Better-Ball Championship by 4 shots at Commonwealth National Golf Club.

At Huntsville Bartolacci made a strong showing at the Pennsylvania Senior Amateur Championship with a 2-shot lead after the first round. He was caught by Dave DeNezza on the last hole, but still finished with a second place trophy. He then finished 4th overall and 1st in the Senior Division at the Art Wall, Jr. Championship, held at the Country Club of Scranton. He also finished 2nd in the Pennsylvania Senior Team Championship....

Plans are underway for the opening of the Heritage Creek Golf Course in Warwick. The Kelly Blake Moran layout had limited play on six holes last year. The course will be open to public play on a limited basis on March 1 with a grand opening later in the year. Ryan Woodard is the course superintendent....

Duke Delcher resurfaced in Florida, playing in the prestigious National Senior Junior Team Championship at The Dye Preserve in Jupiter, Florida.

Delcher, a scholastic player of the year our of Council Rock in his younger days, has played a national schedule of events which included a United States Open, a pair of quarterfinals of the United States Amateur and selection to the U.S. Walker Cup team.

Now a real estate executive in the Hilton Head area, Delcher has claimed several national amateur events. At the Jupiter event, Delcher teamed with Jay McKnight, son for Champions Tour player Tom McKnight, to place 6th. The twosome recorded scores of 71-71-63 for a 205 total to finish 8 shots behind the Virginia team of Pat Tallent and Keith Decker.

Huntingdon Valley's Dave Brookreson teamed with Mark Mulvoy to win the Legends Division at 209....

Zachary Herr's win in the Philadlephia Junior Championship was named as an honorable mention story for 2009 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia. Herr won the GAP Junior-Junior Championship in 2008, the followed with his Junior win last year. He also claimed his first American Junior Golf Association event and captured his second consecutive Men's Championship at Jericho National Golf Club.

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